Right - first up. I put this in the "Life, Things and Stuff" section for a reason. To whit: It has no connection whatsoever with miniatures or gaming.

With that in mind, I have a request. Most all folks on this forum are pretty well educated, intelligent people. I'm making an assumption here, but I'd be willing to bet you all read pretty often, and enjoy movies or possibly even theatre.

Before I get to my request, here's some background:

I work in a girls' junior high/high school, and as well as teaching classes and running the English club, I'm responsible for finding both students and speeches for the rather large number of speech contests held in this area every year. I've managed to either dig up speeches for pretty much everyone so far, but one particular competition is giving me gyp. Nanzan University, in Nagoya, holds a speech contest every year. There are two categories: group and single. Last year my school won both first and second place in the group contest. Unfortunately, the guy who coached these teams has had to go back to the States, leaving me as head speech coach. So, no pressure there...

I've found a good speech for the group category, and rehearsals are currently underway, when it comes to the singles, I have no idea.

Here's my request: I need some ideas for good speeches. The contest looks for "oral interpretation", which so far as I can tell, means "put a bit of feeling into it." In theory, speeches can be serious, funny, deep, moving, whatever, but the two students I have lined up for it are both pretty easy-going folks, so deep and meaningful monologues about the grim inevitablity of death probably wouldnt work.

I've pretty much spent all afternoon trawling the internet, and have found Not Very Much, frankly. The speeches need to be between 4 and 5 minutes long (thats about 1 page of A4, typed, in paragraphs). I certainly dont expect anyone to go haring off doing my research for me, but if any of you know, off the top of your heads, any good monologues, speeches, or even bits of books that could be edited into monlogues, id be eternally grateful if you could make suggestions.

btw, SF stuff is absolutely acceptable. I actually found some pretty cool stuff from SF TV shows and movies, but its too short.e.g.G'kar, from Bab5:"The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not Narn or Human or Centauri or Gaim or Minbari. It speaks in the langauge of hope, it speaks in the langauge of trust, it speaks in the language of strength and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But, always, it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us, and the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says: We are one. No matter the blood. No matter the skin. No matter the world. Not matter the star. We are one. No matter the pain. No matter the darkness. No matter the loss. No matter the fear. We are one. Here, gathered together in common cause, we agree to recognise this singular truth and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another. Because, each voice enriches us and enobles us and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one. We are one."

(ok, its a tad pretentious, but heck, its a speech contest. thats what these things are about)

(I'd actually use it if I was teaching a public speaking class. Here's everything you should not do in a speech, rolled up into one package.)

absolute

GENIUS!

This is the best speech I have ever seen.

Politics is not catch ball.Politics is winner takes all.it always has been.AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE!!!*pause to pant for breath*

seriously, though, thanks a lot to everyone who posted suggestions. I'll check em all out. For those who wanted to know what previous entries were like, they vary from stuff like Anne Franke's diary (done to death), to the poetry of Michael Rosen (We're going on a bear hunt!), to Madonna's eulogy to Jacko. It's all pretty much fair game, really. I showed these to my students, and they seem quite keen, but I dont want to have them both doing the same thing. So, one down, one to go...

*edit* by 'eck, but that Churchill bloke could speechify when he wanted to. Rollicking stuff